Tavus a



(No Model.)

J. PUSEY.

. POCKET KNIFE. No; 338,612. Patented Mar. 23, 1886.

"IZIIIII WITNESSES: I INVENTOR N. Firms, Phuloilmographar. Washlngion, 0.0v

JOSHUA PUSEY, OF PHILADELPHIA,

I'NITED STATES PATENT Orrrc.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GUS- POCKET-KN] FE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,612, dated March 23, 1886.

Application filed April 13, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA PUsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knives and Analogous Implements, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure l is a side elevation with the knifeblade protruded. Fig. 2 is a median longitudinal section in a plane parallel with the sides of the blade, or, as on line a I), Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrow marked 2, the blade being protruded, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a like sectional view looking in the direction of the arrow marked 3 in said Fig. 6. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal section, as on line 0 d, Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrow marked 4. Fig. 5 is an oblique front end View of the case with the rotatable sleeves removed. Fig. 6 is a full transverse section, as on line f 9, Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow marked 5.

This invention relates to that general class of knives or other elongated implements with tangs in which are combined, with a suitable case or handle, mechanism adapted to release the knife, 820., from the case, allowing it to drop out therefrom by gravity a predetermined distance when desired, and to lock the same when thus protruded, and also when retracted within said case.

The invention consists,primarily,in the combination of a transversely-slotted case, which constitutes the handle of the implement, a rotatable sleeve upon said case having a pin or stud passing through said slot in the case, in connection with a knife or other tool with a tang provided with a notch or offset, with which said pin or stud is adapted to engage, in order to prevent the knife, 850., from being pushed back into the ease, and which pin may, by rotating said sleeve, be brought out of the path of the knife, and thus allow the latter to drop from the case a certain distance, or back into the same if protruded therefrom, and to lock it in these respective positions.

The invention consists, secondly, in the c01nbination, with the mechanism aforesaid, of a spring for automatically retaining the stop- Senal No. 162,164. (No model.)

the character mentioned may be combined within a common case or handle.

It consists, finally, in some details of construction, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in certain of the claims.

Referring now to the annexed drawings, wherein the same letters of reference indicate the same parts, a is a hollow case or tube, with an aperture, I), at its front end, corresponding in form to that of the cross-section of the knife or tang c k. The opposite end of the case is provided with a cap, d, that is preferably readily removable and replaceable, for reasons hereinafter mentioned.

6 is a transverse slot near the front end of the case. (See Figs. 2 and 5.) V

f is a sleeve loosely but neatly fitting upon the latter, and suitably milled or otherwise roughened ,in order to provide a frictional hold for the thumb or finger for turning the same.

9 is a pin or stud that is secured to said sleeve, and projects through a slot, 6, a short distance within the case.

h is a plug inserted within the latter, having also an aperture, 2', therein, corresponding in form to that of the cross-section of the knife or tang which slides therein. This plug is lo cated, as shown, some distance in the rear of the pin 9, and has attached to it a wire spring, j, Figs. 4 and 6, that bears lightly against the outer side of the pin, continually pressing the same against one extremity of slot 6, in which normal or usual position the pin is in the path of the knife, 850., or tang, as shown. It will, however, be readily observed that the spring permits the pin to be moved in the slot 6 out of said path when sleeve f is rotated to the left in the present instance.

c is the sliding knife blade, having the tangk, which latter has a notch or offset, 1, and also a stop or projection, m, at its upper end, whose function is to arrest the fall of the knife (when sleeve f is rotated and the knife thereby released) by striking against the upper side of plug h, or other obstruction or projection within the case which may be substituted for said plug.

The operation of the devices is as follows: When the knife, &c., is retracted, the pin 9 is in its path or presses against it, as hereinafter mentioned, and it cannot escape from the case. When the spring is employed,which is usually desirable, it is not necessary that the pointed end of the blade shall be retracted so far as to extend back of the pin, for the blade will be retained by friction arising from the spring pressing the pin against the side of the blade. This latter position is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. Now, while the blade is thus contained within the case, if the sleeve f be rotated by the thumb or finger sufficiently to bring the pin transversely out of the path of the former, the case being held in a vertical position, with the front end down, the knife will instantly slide down through the slot tin the plug and protrude through the aperture 12 in the case, whereupon, the sleeve being released by removing the finger therefrom, the pin is brought back by thestress of the spring and stops against the end of the slot, atcthe same time entering the notch or slot Z in the tang of the knife. Thus it is obvious the knife or blade .is prevented from being pushed back within the case until the sleeveis again turned in the manner before described. The cap d is preferably made removable, in the present instance being screwed on the end of the case. This is in order to allow the blade to be dropped out at that end when the cap is taken off, so that the interior of the case may be readily freed from any dirt or other obstruction which is apt to collect therein when the device is carried in the pocket and to interfere with the operation of the spring or the free sliding of the blade. This feature of removable cap and blade is, so far as I am aware, novel in the general class of what may be termed gravity knives, and it affords a convenient means of obviating what I have observed to be an annoying defect in such implements not thus constructed. It also en ables the ready replacement of a new blade when one is broken, and also facilitates sharpening the same when necessary.

In the foregoing description I have referred to a single blade with the mechanism relating thereto. It will be seen, however, that I am enabled to make use also of an additional blade or other tool with a tangsuch as the glove-buttoner, as shownthe case or handle and the plug it being common to both implements.

Referring again to the drawings, 1) is a slot in the front end of the case, similar to slot [2,

in which slot or aperture 6 and in a slot, z", in the plug h the glove-buttoning hook c 7c is adapted to slide. A sleeve or ring, f, in connection with a pin, 9, extending through a slot, 6, in the case, and a spring, j, perform the same function with regard to the buttonhook as the corresponding parts before described with relation to the knife-blade, the

shank k of the former having a notch, l, and

a stop, m, similar to Z and m, respectively.

The operation of all these parts is identical with that of those connected with the knife,

the sleeve f being, however, rotated in the pass up beyond pin 9, and is thus prevented 1 from escaping.

The dotted outline in Fig. 3 shows the position of the hook when protruded.

In order to soften and render noiseless the fall of the knife, &c., when allowed to drop back into the case, I sometimes insert a'plug, 0, of cork or soft rubber within the cap d.

The plug h furnishes a convenient point of attachment for the ends of the springs j j. These may, however, be otherwise secured within the case. In fact, this plug may be dispensed with altogether and other equivalent means for guiding the tangs of the blade, &c., be substituted therefor. The upper side or edge of the tangs may be provided with one or more notches in addition to the one shown, whereby the blade may be held projected from the case at different distances from the end of the same. I may also observe that both ends of the case could be utilized, so that a knifeblade, 850., may be protruded from either or both ends thereof, the sleeve, pin, spring, &c., being duplicated at each end. If this construction be used, I would make the case in two sections transversely, and screw or otherwise join the two parts thereof together, so that they may be separated and put together again when necessary or desirable.

I may mention one signal advantage of a knife, &c., constructed according to my i nvention over others which I have seen, in which the blade is held by a spring-controlled latch or dog secured longitudinally in the side of the handle and projecting therefrom. It is that with my rotatable sleeve and pin device it is not necessary to seek any particular lateral point to be'pressed upon in order to release the blade or shank holding dog, but the said sleeve may be turned and the blade, 850., released by pressing against it (said sleeve) in the proper direction at any point in its periphery. It is also to be remarked that by having the two sleeves rotatable in opposite directions the onewill not be turned by the finger when the other is being rotated in order to release the one implementthat is to say,

for instance, the'movement required to drop' the blade 0 It will not at the same time drop the buttoner c 70'.-

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the case or handle, the gravity-knife or other analogous implement having a notch or ofiset therein, the rotatable sleeve, the pin connected thereto and extending within the case through a transverse slot therein in the path of the knife, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose stated.

2. The combination of the case or handle, the gravity-knife or other analogous tool provided with a notch or offset therein, and a stop for preventing said knife, 850., from escaping, the rotatable sleeve, the pin connected thereto and projecting within the case through a transverse slot therein inthe path of the knife,&c., together with the spring pressing against said pin, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the slotted case or handle provided with the rotatable sleeve and pin, the notched blade or other analogous tool, the spring, and the slotted plug h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with a transverselyslotted case or handle having a gravity-knife or other analogous tool therein, with a notch in the tang thereof, and a rotatable sleeve on one end having a pin therein, of a removable cushioned cap, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the slotted case or handle, the rotatable sleeves on one end of the handle having pins therein, the gravity-knife or other analogous tool having a notch in its tang, with a stop or projection thereon, and a slotted stop-plug for arresting the fall of 0 JOSHUA PUSEY.

\Vitnesses:

J OHN NOLAN, FRANCIS S. BRowN. 

